Eisenhower Museum in New Orleans
geo...@ankerstein.org
GFH
--
David Aiken
Ofcourse, you meant the D-Day Museum...in New Orleans...
Here are the latest about the museums in the affected areas:
This from the American Association of Museums, it's pretty
comprehensive but is admittedly an early report. Most of these are as
of 8-31.
> AAM Latest > News Update
Hurricane Katrina - First Reports
If you have information about museums in the affected area, please
contact Janet Vaughan at jvau...@aam-us.org. Thanks to everyone for
keeping AAM and the field informed. This page last updated 9-2-05.
Alexandria Zoo (as of 8-31). AZA reports that the Zoo is fine. They had
no animal loss.
Audubon Nature Institute (as of 8-31). AZA reports that the staff of
the Audubon Nature Institute is safe. The physical plants at both the
Zoo and the Aquarium suffered little damage. The staff will continue to
assess the impact on the animal collections at all Audubon facilities.
The Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species (ACRES) lost one
whooping crane but the remaining animals at the facility are fine. The
area has not been flooded but there are some leaks at the Research
Center. Four animal keepers were flown in by helicopter. At present,
they do not need food or water.
Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis's home (as of 9-2). The Clarion Ledger
reported on 8-31 that Beauvoir, located in Biloxi, was "virtually
demolished." George Malvaney reported that he visited Beauvoir on the
evening of 8-31. He said the bottom floor of the house was gone, the
upstairs badly damaged, but that many artifacts were intact. He said
artifacts have been temporarily secured. On 9-1 Greg Biggs reported
from Larry McCluney that approximately 65% of the main house still
stands, although the porch, windows, doors, columns, & front porch are
gone. The first floor of the library is gone, but Davis's papers had
been moved upstairs and survived. The small home where Davis resided
survived. Other buildings, such as the gift shop, are gone.
Biedenharn Museum and Gardens (as of 9-2). Ralph Calhoun, executive
director, reports that the museum and garden are fine.
Birmingham Botanical Garden (as of 9-1). AABGA reports from Fred Spicer
that "Mother Nature has done some pruning" but the garden had no
structural damage.
Birmingham Zoo (as of 8-30). AZA reports that the Zoo is without
electricity, has some trees down, but suffered no animal losses.
BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo (as of 8-31). AZA reports that the Zoo has
electricity now. There are lots of trees down, but no animal losses.
They are already working on clean up.
Confederate Memorial Hall (as of 9-2). Board member Sam Hood reports
that he has spoken with curator Pat Ricci. The staff is safe. As far as
she knows, the building has not flooded. Security remains a concern.
Danzler House (as of 8-31). Located in Biloxi, the house had just been
remodeled to house a Mardi Gras museum. TheDay.com reported that it was
destroyed.
Davis Planetarium (as of 8-31). The Clarion Ledger reported that
manager Gary Lazich said the planetarium had a small leak around the
outside but no significant damage.
D-Day Museum (as of 9-1). Caroline Kennedy, Director of the West Baton
Rouge Museum, reports on communication with Kenneth Hoffman of the
D-Day Museum. Housing for staff is the main need.
Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center (as of 8-31). The Mobile Register
reported that an estimated 5 feet of water came through the front
doors. The original exhibit gallery was flooded with about an inch of
water, but was under renovation anyway. Tim Pula, Science Coordinator,
confirmed that the exhibit gallery was in a tear down phase of a major
rework, so the damage was minimal. The museum had planned to be closed
for a week, after Labor Day, for maintenance and Tim expects the museum
to be up and running fine after that.
Jackson Zoo (as of 8-30). AZA reports that the Zoo suffered very slight
building damage and has about 35 trees down. There was no injury to any
staff or animals. About half of the zoo has power. They will be closed
for about a week while they clean up the trees.
Louisiana Children's Museum (as of 9-2). Marilynne Eichinger reports
that she made contact with Jeannette Burke and learned that the water
level is over the third floor of the museum. It has not collapsed, but
there are concerns about its ability to withstand the waters.
Louisiana State Museum (as of 9-2). Kacey Hill, Public Information
Director, states that early reports indicate that the Louisiana State
Museum's 9 historic French Quarter properties have sustained varying
degrees of modest to severe damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
Curatorial staff has conducted a preliminary survey of both facilities
and collections for immediate stabilization purposes. Continuing
assessment of conditions is underway, but it is too soon to fully
realize the extent of the site repairs and collection treatment needed.
Museum officials have received numerous calls from other institutions
offering assistance, and look forward to accepting these generous
offers in the weeks and months ahead. For more information, contact the
Louisiana State Museum-Baton Rouge at 225-219-0729.
Marine Life Oceanarium (as of 8-31). The Baltimore Sun reports there is
an empty space where the Gulfport aquarium used to be.
Miami Museum of Science (as of 8-31). ASTC Informs reported that the
museum weathered the earlier landfall of the hurricane, sustaining
damage to the Wildlife Center, but relatively little water penetration.
President Gillian Thomas says the museum has already reopened, having
been closed on Saturday and Sunday during power outages and clean up of
fallen trees and damaged structures.
Mississippi Museum of Art (as of 8-31). The Clarion Ledger reported
that the covering over a skylight that was to be repaired blew off.
Director Betsy Bradley said that as a result leaks are recurring and
ceiling tiles are down in the atrium area. The art was removed prior to
the storm and was not damaged. Bradley said the museum will re-open
very soon.
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (as of 8-31). The Clarion Ledger
reported that the museum dodged major structural damage but not a power
outage and water leaks. Emergency personnel scrambled to find diesel
fuel for its generator to keep the 100,000-gallon aquarium system
operating. Electrical power came back on Tuesday afternoon. The museum
planned to reopen for visitors on Wednesday.
Montgomery Zoo (as of 8-30). AZA reports that the Zoo is without
electricity, had some trees down, but suffered no animal losses.
National Park Service sites (as of 9-1). The NPS's Morning Report has
updates on the recovery efforts in its parks and monuments, including
the Everglades NP, Dry Tortugas NP, Gulf Islands NS, Jean Lafitte NHP,
New Orleans Jazz NHP, Natchez Trace Parkway, Cane River Creole NHP, and
Natchez NHP.
New Orleans Museum of Art (as of 9-2). The Times-Picayune reports on
8-31 that the New Orleans Museum of Art survived Hurricane Katrina and
its aftermath without significant damage. Six NOMA security &
maintenance employees had remained on duty during the hurricane. FEMA
wanted them to move to a safer location, but there was no way to secure
the artwork inside so the staff continues to stay on site. Museum
workers had taken down some pieces in the sculpture garden before the
storm, but a towering modernist sculpture by Kenneth Snelson was
reduced to a twisted mess in the lagoon. The Wall Street Journal
reported on 9-2 that the climate-control system was operating at
half-power on a backup generator. The museum may relocate some of its
more fragile works, if generator fuel can't be obtained soon.
Ogden Museum of Southern Art (as of 8-30). Fran Huber, Registrar with
the Louisiana State University Museum of Art, reported that the Ogden
was fine on Tuesday, but she had no news since the levees broke.
Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art (as of 9-2). The Wall Street Journal
reported: "Photographs of the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi,
Miss., showed that a dislodged casino barge crushed part of an addition
designed by Frank Gehry that had been a year from completion."
Old Capitol Museum of Mississippi History (as of 8-31). Cindy Gardner,
Field Services Curator, reported that the museum had a third of its
copper roof blown off, with water then pouring into an exhibit area and
a storage room. Staff has been working on moving artifacts from one
side of the building to the other. They have hundreds (if not more) of
wet artifacts and some that are completely ruined. More information is
available from the Clarion Ledger.
Pioneer Heritage Center in Shreveport (as of 9-2). Marguerite R.
Plummer, director, reports no ill effects from the hurricane.
Rosemont Plantation (as of 9-1). Site director Percival Beacroft
reports that the site is all right and in no danger.
USS ALABAMA and USS DRUM (as of 9-1). Jeff Nilsson, executive director
of the Historical Navel Ships Association, reported on 8-31 that the
ALABAMA was listing eight degrees to port (toward the pier), but the
USS DRUM is apparently in good shape. The concrete gangway has been
critically damaged, while the airplane hanger suffered damage to all
sides and the planes are in a pile. The Pavilion and Gift Shop both
suffered damage. There are two feet of water in the Gift Shop. The
ALABAMA web site can be found by going to hnsa.org and clicking on
their link. The home page gives an index and by clicking on USS ALABAMA
News there is an overview of the damage. On 9-1 the Mobile Register
reported that the Battleship Memorial Park sustained extensive damage.
The park's aircraft pavilion was apparently battered into a "total
loss" but the dozen vintage warplanes are all repairable. The USS
Alabama was listing, although it is not believed to have incurred any
serious damage. Bill Tunnell, executive director, said the park could
be closed for weeks for repairs but said a further assessment of damage
was needed first. About 18 members of the staff and their families rode
out the hurricane inside the battleship, as members have done
voluntarily since Camille in 1969.
USS KIDD Memorial (as of 8-31). Jeff Nilsson, executive director of the
Historical Navel Ships Association, talked with Maury Drummond,
executive director of the USS KIDD Memorial in Baton Rouge. Maury said
the ship suffered little or no damage and is expected to re-open within
a week.
--
Merlin Dorfman
> Did it survive? Is there any news?
(I'm assuming this refers to the D-Day Museum.)
The web site <www.ddaymuseum.org> was off the air for several
days but is now back. It does not have any recent news, but still
mentions the planned International Conference on WW II next month.
However the images on maps.google.com indicate that the area
is thoroughly flooded and I can't believe that the museum is in
operation. Perhaps hosting of the web site has been transferred
elsewhere.
--
David Aiken
"Hello all,
My wife, Debra is a Sergeant with the New Orleans Police Department and
has been in the thick of things since Katrina struck. She had to
pursuade me to leave the city before the disaster. I did not want to
go, I guess having recently retired from NOPD was pushing me to stay. I
am now glad that I did leave, but saddened that she is still there,
working for nothing at this point. But to the point. She has been past
the D-Day Museum several times in the last few days. She tells me that
even the large windows of the Louisiana Pavilion are intact. She has
been told by other officers that the Museum proper was unmolested. Most
of the looting was in the Central Business District and in some the
mostly uneffected residential areas. She did say that the storage area
for the Musem Shop located across the street in the area that will be
part of the expansion was damaged in the storm and had been entered.
Deb will soon be rotated out of the area for a 5 day R&R, then back in.
None of the NOPD have been innoculated for any waterborne diseases and
some are becoming ill. Most of this from working 20 hour days with
little food and water. She had been patrolling with National Guard
members until today. This morning she had 10 NYPD officers assigned to
her and continues to perform her duties as the true professional that
she is. I do worry about her physical and mental state as she sounds
more and more hollow each time I speak to her. Please keep her and all
of the men and women still in New Orleans, and the other affected areas
as well as our troops overseas."
Thanks,
Elmon Randolph
Living History Director
National D-Day Museum
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